The town of Golden Square didn’t look much. One long street with a few stores, blacksmith, Dulcie’s Diner, Marshal’s office. Ah, Abbot’s Mercantile – this is what he wanted. Further down the street was a sign proclaiming to any man who was interested – The Lucky Strike Saloon. He would probably have stopped there for a couple of drinks had he been on his own.
He pulled the wagon up almost outside the door of the mercantile. What a stroke of luck. He reached in and picked Alice up, and holding her in the crook of one arm, walked into the store. It didn’t seem to be very well stocked, some of the shelves were bare. His heart plummeted to his boots.
“Howdy, stranger,” said the weasel faced man behind the counter. “I’m the owner of this here store.”
“Howdy. I’ve made a list of all the things I need.”
The man almost snatched the list out of his hand. “I ain’t got no tins of condensed milk left.”
“What do you mean, you haven’t got any left?”
“A wagon train passed through here a couple of days ago, they just about cleaned me out.”
“Wagon train?”
“Yeah, stupid fool of a wagon boss got hisself lost, and they were running out of supplies.” The man rubbed his hands together.
“What kind of place is this? I need milk for the baby.”
“Yours?” The storekeeper peered at Alice.
If he so much as put a finger on her, Logan vowed to knock him down.
“Of course she’s mine. Um, her mother up and left a couple of days ago. I have to buy milk for her.”
The baby decided this was the time for her to start crying for a feed.
“I can’t give you want I ain’t got.” The man scratched his head.
“What will I do? I have to have it.” Logan jiggled Alice around. “I’ll pay double for it,” he went on desperately.
“I told you, I can’t give you what I ain’t got.”
“Well, is there anything else she could drink? Shush, little darlin’.” He patted her back.
“I don’t know, I’ll ask the wife. Flo.”
A woman appeared from behind a curtain. She was the largest woman he had ever seen, at least two axe handles wide. She stomped over to him and stared at the baby. “She’s hungry.”
“I know that. I need tins of condensed milk.”
“We don’t have anything left, Mister.”
“Your husband told me. Don’t you have anything else?”
“There’s nothing here,” she said.
“What am I going to do?” Logan was starting to feel desperate. “Would anyone else have some I could buy?”
“No.” The woman stood with her hands on her hips.
Horrible old biddy obviously didn’t have a maternal bone in her huge body.
“Get a cow.”
“And where would I get a cow who’s in milk from?”
Flo snapped her fingers, causing the baby to jerk with fright and cry even harder.
“There’s that gal the Marshal was telling us about, Alf. She was lactating when they found her a couple of days ago.”
“That bed faggot,” Alf said, giving a contemptuous wave of one hand.
Logan couldn’t believe he was standing here listening to such talk. What kind of town was this? Not a very nice one if he was any judge.
“You’ll just have to drive into Deadwood,” Alf said. “They’ll have plenty. There’s lots of brats there.” He snickered.
“Plenty of debauched creatures living there.” Flo cut in.
“It’s about fifty miles away. I need milk for the baby now.” He would have gone down on his knees and begged if he thought it would help.
“Deadwood or the Marshal’s prisoner,” Flo said.
Deadwood was too far away, there wasn’t enough time. “Are there any young mothers around here who could give her a feed? I don’t mind paying.”
“Ain’t many young people around here at all,” Alf said. “Mainly old people here now, the young don’t want to stay. We get a few cowboys passing through, they spend their time in the saloon or Belle’s cathouse.”
I don’t blame them Logan thought. Why hadn’t he gone to Trails End and taken his chances on whether they would believe some made up story about Alice being a relative. “Darlin’, don’t cry so, you’ll make yourself ill going on like this.” Fear the like of which he had never felt before, almost brought him to his knees. What if something happened to his little gal?
“All right, I’ll go over and see the Marshal.” He was fit to be tied but didn’t want to show it. “Can you have my order ready? I’ll pay you and pick it up later.” Things were expensive, sugar was ten cents a pound, coffee twelve cents and flour four cents. Daylight robbery.
“You better come back,” Alf said.
Logan felt like ramming his fist down the man’s throat. The woman in jail couldn’t possibly be as heartless as this pair. He shifted the baby into his other arm to leave his gun hand free. He didn’t like this town. It gave him a bad feeling.
He crossed the road, keeping a sharp look out. If this woman wouldn’t give Alice a feed then he would have to open the only tin of milk he had left. Why hadn’t he thought to bring more with him?
He strode into the Marshal’s office.
“What you doing to that kid?” the Marshal said.
Briefly Logan explained.
“You can try, but I don’t think Missie in there will do you any good. She’s crazier than a run-over coon.”
“Missie what?”
“It ain’t her name, just what I call her. She can’t remember who she is. Can’t remember nothin’.”
It was getting worse and worse with each passing second.
As the Marshal stepped over to unlock the door behind his desk, a woman screamed out. “Let me out of here. Let me out of here.” Her shrieks were blood curdling. “I have to go. I have to go.”
“Shut up, you filthy bed faggot. Are those tits of yours still leaking milk?”
The woman stopped her screaming although Alice didn’t. She was kicking and flailing her little arms now.
“I’m Logan McGregor. Please, can you feed my baby? Her mother ran off and she’ll die if….”
“Yes.”
The Marshal unlocked the cell door. “Try and escape and I’ll shoot you dead. Understood?”
“Understood.” The woman reached out for the baby and Logan hesitated before handing her over. She turned her back and he was just about to step in and grab Alice back, when the crying stopped, almost immediately followed by the woman crooning. “Don’t gulp little one, there’s plenty here for you.”
“You better watch her,” the Marshal said. “She’s loco enough to do anything.”
Logan was already watching her, he wouldn’t be taking his eyes off her for even a second. “What’s she locked up for?”
The blacksmith and his wife found her lying unconscious and brought her here. Probably going to or from Deadwood at a guess.” He scratched his head. “Anyway, I had nowhere else to put her except the cells.”
“She can’t remember who she is?” he asked incredulously
“Nope. Anyway, when she finally woke up she carried on like a crazy woman, so I had to lock her in here for public safety.”
“Seems a bit extreme if she hasn’t done anything.”
“I don’t know whether she’s done a crime or not. She’s crazy. I called her Missie because she doesn’t know who she is or where she comes from. If she isn’t screaming, she’s rocking backward and forward wailing, nearly frightened the life out of me the first time she done it. I sent a telegram to Deadwood. They’re supposed to be sending someone to get her, but I wouldn’t take bets on them varmints coming.”
Logan stared at the woman. She was young, would be quite pretty if she wasn’t so dirty and unkempt. Her blue gown was torn in several places. There were numerous scratches on her hands and face. Bruises were visible on her cheek and forehead, one of her eyes was swollen and half closed. She had obviously e
ndured a vicious beating or accident of some kind.
She wasn’t very tall, her fine build made her appear frail. The one eye he could see was a pale blue/green color. Her matted brown hair would probably be a couple of shades lighter if it were clean. Why should he care what she looked like?
Closing her bodice, she put the baby against her shoulder to rub her back, which almost immediately produced a loud burp. Missie turned away, obviously she was giving Alice the other breast.
“I won’t hurt her,” Missie said softly as she turned around. “I don’t know who I am or where I come from. I must have had a baby who died.” Tears filled her eyes.
“I’m sorry.” Logan didn’t know what else to say.
“She’s beautiful.”
“Yes, I think so.” He watched Alice’s little bare toes curl up in satisfaction, one little hand opening and shutting. She hadn’t ever done that for him. Surely he wasn’t jealous of some poor demented woman locked up in this horrible town’s jail?
“Thank you for doing this, Missie. They’ve run out of tinned milk at the store. I was desperate.”
“I’ve done this before,” she said. “I know I have.”
She didn’t speak coarsely, he’d noticed this straight away. This woman had obviously fallen upon hard times.
Alice fell asleep, still the woman held her. He wanted to snatch the baby out of her arms and dash outside. Forcing himself not to, he waited with anxiety churning his gut.
“What a beautiful little cherub you are,” Missie crooned.
The least he could do was let this poor, troubled woman hold the child for a little while.
“Where do you live?” she suddenly asked.
“On a ranch nearly a four hour drive from here.”
“Take me with you.”
His mouth dropped open with shock.
“You need someone to feed her, look after her. I can do it.”
“Um….”
“I’ve done this before, I know I have. A man can’t look after a baby properly.”
“I’m doing all right.” His hackles rose. This woman was in no position to condemn him.
“How can you run your ranch and look after a baby at the same time?”
“I’ll figure something out.”
“By leaving your ranch chores undone?”
“None of your business,” he snapped, losing patience. “Give her to me, please.”
“Take me with you, Logan. I can feed her, look after her while you work. I’ll cook and housekeep for you.”
He gnawed his lower lip. It would solve a lot of problems. Could he trust her? The Marshal said she was crazy. She didn’t appear that way to him. Dirty and battered though she was, she had acted kindly toward Alice.
“Please. What will become of me if they take me to Deadwood?”
“You’ll probably end up in a whorehouse where you belong,” the Marshal said as he reappeared at the cell door. “Where else would she have run off from?”
“The man at the store said a wagon train passed through here a couple of days ago, maybe she came off it.” Logan didn’t know why he was defending this woman. Yes, he did, he felt sorry for her. She seemed a decent enough type to him, and what an awful predicament to find yourself in. To have so much milk, she must have had a baby. Maybe it had died.
“She was found only a few miles from Deadwood. The people finding her didn’t want to waste time going back there, so they brought her here, so I get lumbered with her. Well, Deadwood can damn well have her back.”
“Could I have the baby please, I need to be on my way.” He would have to go into Trails End tomorrow. They would have milk, and if not, old Doc Petrie would know what else he could do. He’d have to change his story, maybe say a cousin left the baby with him and didn’t come back. It sounded reasonable.
He stared at the woman’s face and saw fear and desperation in her eyes. He gnawed his lip. Breast milk was best for babies, even he knew that. Could he trust this woman with his most precious possession? Alice had certainly taken to her, the little body had curved trustingly into hers. Dare he risk taking her with them? If he watched her all the time, never leaving her alone with Alice, surely it would be safe.
“Please, I’ve lost my memory. I’m not a criminal.”
“All right, I’ll take you with us. Be warned, I’ll be watching your every move. Hurt one hair on the baby’s head and I’ll kill you. I swear it.”
“Thank you, you won’t regret it.”
“I’ll take Missie with me, Marshal. Are there any papers I have to sign?”
“No, it was all unofficial. You’re a dang fool in my opinion. It’s up to you.” He shrugged. “I’ll be glad to get rid of her. She caused me a lot of extra work.”
Work? By the dusty office and dirty cell, he was as slow as molasses in January. What a town. He couldn’t wait to leave it.
“Thank you, Logan. You won’t regret taking me with you. I’m sorry you have to see me in such a disheveled state.” She handed the baby back to him.
“You can clean up at my ranch. I don’t want to spend a minute longer than I have to in this stinking, Godforsaken place.”
She buttoned up her bodice before trying to straighten out the creases in her blue skirt. He waited as she ran trembling fingers through her tousled hair, which hung down over her shoulders.
CHAPTER FOUR
They stepped out into the street. The bright sunshine caused Missie to squint. To keep the sun out of the baby’s eyes, he positioned her so her little face snuggled into his shoulder. He shortened his normal stride so Missie didn’t have to run to keep up with him as they crossed over to the mercantile.
“That’s my wagon there,” he said, stepping back to let her enter the store first.
“Get out of here you debauched creature,” Flo screeched.
“She’s with me,” Logan snapped. “Are my supplies ready?”
“Can you pay?” Alf stepped out from behind the counter.
“Yes, I can pay.”
“Logan.” Missie tugged at his arm. “If you haven’t done so, and you can afford it, buy a few yards of material so I can make Alice some clothes.”
“Good idea. Give me five yards of…What?”
She pointed to a roll of white material. “That bleached cotton will do.”
It was ten cents per yard, so he hoped she didn’t need too much of it.
“Needle and thread, too,” she said.
He nearly told her he had black cotton and needles at home.
Logan spotted bread at the furthermost end of the counter. “I’ll have two loaves of bread, too.”
When he paid for his purchases he had to use some of his gold dust. He watched Alf’s beady eyes light up as he weighed it out. A shaft of trepidation shot through him. He didn’t like the predatory gleam in Flo’s eyes, as he placed the pouch back in his pocket.
“I panned for years to collect this, was saving it up for my retirement.” He didn’t want them to think he had recently found it, in case they thought there was more where this came from. He sincerely hoped there was more.
He handed the baby to Missie. “Can you help me load this stuff?” he asked Alf. “I want to be off.”
“Benny!” Alf screeched.
A youth rushed out from behind the curtain. “Yeah, Pa.”
“Help the man with his supplies.”
The boy was thin with bright red hair and a slightly vacant expression in his eyes. The white apron he wore was clean as was the store, not like the Marshal’s pigsty of an office.
Once the supplies were loaded into the wagon, Logan placed Alice in her makeshift bed.
“I’ll sit in here with her,” Missie said.
“No. You’ll ride up here with me so I can keep an eye on you.”
“I wouldn’t hurt her.”
“How do I know that,” he growled. “You could be capable of anything for all I know.” Already he was regretting bringing her along. He climbed up into the driver’s s
eat and she scrambled up beside him.
He slapped the horses’ rumps to get them going. He couldn’t wait to get out of this town.
“I overheard the Marshal say Alf and Flo sell stolen goods,” she suddenly said as if wanting to break the animosity hovering between them.
“I’m not surprised. This whole town has a sinister aura around it.”
Mile after mile they drove without speaking again. He wasn’t much of a talker, didn’t have to be when he spent so much time on his own. His mind was churning. Where would Missie sleep? He hadn’t thought about this before.
The sofa would have to do, he could hang a blanket across to give her some privacy. He wasn’t prepared to give up his comfortable bed for the likes of her. She only had the clothes she wore. Why hadn’t he thought to buy extra material, then she could have made herself something to wear. She hadn’t asked for anything. There again, he hadn’t offered, either.
The baby woke up crying. “She’s probably hungry,” Missie said.
“Yeah.” She wasn’t the only one. “I’ll find a suitable place to stop. The horses could do with a rest, and we’ll have some of the bread and a drink.”
A short time later, they came upon a clearing near the side of the track. A few trees dotting the area would give them shade. “This will do.”
The moment he pulled the horses up Missie jumped from the wagon and hurried around to the back to get Alice who was now crying loudly. He was a step or two behind her.
“I’ll get her.” He raised the flap, reached for the baby and picked her up. She was as wet as dung. “She needs her drawers changed.”
“Do you have anything to change her into?” She took the baby from him and the crying stopped, the little head frantically turning, mouth open, searching for the breast.
“You start feeding her while I get something dry for her. I had to use empty flour bags.”
“Oh?”
“They were washed and clean.” He knew he sounded belligerent, but couldn’t help it. He considered he had done rather well for a man who knew nothing about babies. He reached into the wagon and fumbled around in the back until he found what he wanted. At least he had been smart enough to have the drawers folded up, ready to go on straight away.
He gave a pair of drawers to Missie before gathering wood to start a fire. He filled the coffee pot up from the cask of water he had tied to the side of the wagon for the horses, in case he couldn’t find water for them, having never traveled this way before. After the reception he had received in Golden Square he wouldn’t be coming this way again if he could help it. Just thinking about the town made him twitchy. As for the shifty store owner, he wouldn’t trust him as far as he could kick him.
Logan (Bachelors And Babies Book 2) Page 3
